Reframing Ageing through Storytelling

Description

Clann & Clúid Housing are committed to not just addressing the physical housing needs of its residents, but also their emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Mindful that the number of older adults in Ireland is increasing substantially, ageing well is a priority for housing providers like Clann, who wish to support older people to age well in place.
Through their work, Clann has witnessed how some older people have experienced cumulative disadvantage throughout their lives, which has greatly impacted their ability to age well and their life expectancy. Clann staff have also seen firsthand the profound implications ageing has on healthcare, social policy, economic development, housing, and the quality of life of older people – therefore Clann wished to collaborate in this artist-led research project and play an active part in addressing those inequalities for older people.

This social issue of ageing and self-ageism was chosen as the theme of this project because, according to the World Health Organization, ageism and self-ageism prevents people from ‘ageing well’ and is prevalent everywhere. The scale and impact of this widespread social issue is as follows:-

 1 in 2 people are ageist or express ageist views against themselves.
 It exists in our institutions, our relationships and ourselves.
 It promotes disadvantage. Divides people and undermines of human rights.
 It is the most pervasive prejudice across societies around the world.
 It is a significant barrier to effective policies on healthy ageing, resulting in poorer health outcomes, including chronic conditions and long-term health issues.

Clann therefore felt it was timely to research the experience of ageing, ageism and self-ageism amongst its older residents, through the delivery of this research project and consulting with residents living in its age friendly housing, as well as staff who deliver its housing management service to older residents.

This project peered into the lived experiences of older residents and examined, through the sharing of their life stories, what their experience is of their own ageing process, particularly in the context of living in an age friendly social housing home.

The purpose of the Reframing Ageing through Storytelling Project was to:-

 Amplify the silent, marginalised voices of older people through the collective exchange of stories by three groups – 1. Older people, 2. Clann residents and 3. Clann staff.

 Promote inclusivity and the ability for us all to ‘age well’, by raising awareness of the impact of ageism and self-ageism, as well as our own personal biases.

The methodology of storytelling was used during this research project because storytelling humanises social issues, and when a social issue is framed within a narrative, evidence shows that we are more likely to connect with the experience of others, which in turn leads to increased understanding and compassion of others. Clann’s focus for this project was to provide older residents with the platform to tell their stories / experiences and have the power to enrich the lives of others and bridge cultural, generational, and social divides.

Aim of Initiative

• Combatting ageism and self ageism: Raise awareness of issue.
• Empower residents and improve wellbeing: Reinforce their sense of worth and dignity and empowere them to take control of their narratives and challenge stereotypes and their own biases.
• Strengthen resident bonds: Bring a sense of universality and bring residents closer, through mutual support and collective action against ageism / self-directed ageism.
• Promote advocacy and self-advocacy: Empower Clann residents and staff to become advocates for change, and equipped to encourage others to adopt inclusive practices.
• Learning and Development of staff: Contribute to broader discussions on ageing, and the need to ‘see the person’, when we deliver our housing management service to residents.
• Promote positive ageing: Help residents see ageing as a natural, valuable stage of life rather than a limitation.

Who is it aimed at

Clann residents living in age friendly housing schemes and Clann staff who deliver a housing management service to residents.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Research the social issue of ageism and self-ageism and create workshop based on the research and outcomes we wished to achieve from the project.

   Invite participants to be involved in the project – providing outline of ethics, details of what participation would involve, etc.

2. Create a Safe, Inclusive, and Empowering Environment – Because some older adults may carry internalized ageist beliefs or feel vulnerable sharing personal stories, a supportive setting encourages openness and participation. This was implemented by using warm-up activities or icebreakers to build trust and comfort; emphasizing that all stories are valued; provided ‘trigger warnings’ to participants by highlighting that emotions may surface during the creative activities and giving positive permission for this.
3. Facilitate creative expression and reflection with purpose – Turning stories into art helped participants to externalize inner narratives and open up collective meaning-making.

   The project offered multiple mediums to accommodate different abilities and preferences. All were encouraged to share (if they wished) and reflect together, reinforcing new, empowering narratives of ageing.

   The workshops concluded with a group showcase and publication which celebrating their work, giving it lasting value and appreciation.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Emotional sensitivity and resistance – Ageism—especially internalized (self) ageism can be deeply personal and painful. Some participants were unaware of it, while others felt shame, sadness, and anger whilst discussing the issue.
2. Varying perceptions and lived experiences of ageing – Ageing is not a uniform experience because our cultural background, health status, gender, class, and life history all shape how we relate to the topic. This was prevalent throughout the project and was navigated sensitively and with awareness.
3. Balancing awareness-raising with empowerment – Whilst it is important to name and explore ageism and self-ageism, it was important to balance the narrative because by focusing too heavily on the negative impact of ageism and self-ageism, there was a risk it could disempower and depress participants.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Combatted ageism and self ageism through raising awareness of this social issue / prevalent prejudice. It strengthened resident bonds by brining a sense of universality and brought residents closer, through mutual support and collective action against ageism / self-directed ageism. It also promoted advocacy and self-advocacy because Clann residents and staff became advocates for change, encouraging others to adopt inclusive practices. Feedback from resident on the project – “I am so glad I got involved in the Reframing Ageing through Storytelling project because I can honestly say, it has been very rewarding. It makes me appreciate that Clann is not just a landlord but they really do care about us by organsing these sort of events. It has brought us together as a small group, to discuss a topic which affects us in our day to day life and it was good for me to hear what others are going through. It made me want to stand up for them”.
2. Empowered residents and improved wellbeing: Reinforced their sense of worth and dignity and empowered them to take control of their narratives and challenge stereotypes and their own biases. The project also promoted positive ageing by helping residents see ageing as a natural, valuable stage of life rather than a limitation.
3. Learning and Development of staff: The project contributed to broader discussions on ageing, and the need to ‘see the person’, when we deliver our housing management service to residents. Feedback from staff on the project – “Hearing the stories and narratives of older residents was powerful and it made me think how we need to challenge the negative dominant narratives we hear on a regular basis, and images of older people in Ireland’s media today. We all need opportunities like this to reflect on how we think and act – time to stop and broaden understanding by connecting with each other”.